


120. Alex learns the truth about the night before his wedding

by alley_oops, jennandanica



Series: Citadel: Luke Evans and Alex Skarsgard [120]
Category: Actor RPF, Citadel (Journalfen RPG), True Blood RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-02
Updated: 2008-11-02
Packaged: 2018-01-01 15:04:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1045332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alley_oops/pseuds/alley_oops, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennandanica/pseuds/jennandanica





	120. Alex learns the truth about the night before his wedding

_**Alex Skarsgard learns the truth about the night before his wedding**_  
[features [(NPC) Declan Bennett, (NPC) Stark Sands](http://www.journalfen.net/community/citadel_npcs/55908.html), and [](http://www.journalfen.net/users/sam_worthington/profile)[](http://www.journalfen.net/users/sam_worthington/)**sam_worthington** ]  
[backdated to May, 2013; directly follows [Alex and Luke's wedding ceremony](http://www.journalfen.net/users/citadel_luke/14778.html) and refers to events at [Luke's semi-disastrous bachelor party](http://www.journalfen.net/users/citadel_luke/13955.html) (which coincided with [Alex's bachelor party](http://www.journalfen.net/users/skarsgard/30443.html))]

Alex is still buzzing from the ceremony, their vows, the alcohol -- the look on Luke's face, a shining expression that he prays he'll remember to the end of his days. He's eaten a few bites of dinner here and there, and he has dared the dance floor a few times. Now he's got a fresh pint in his hand and he's mixing with his guests, greeting friends he rarely gets to see. Taking his two year-old niece into his arms and making her giggle when he tosses her into the air and then catches her, pulling her in close against his chest for a hug and causing a fresh round of giggles. Someone catches his eye and he passes the little girl back to her mother, then crosses to one of the tables closer to the open balcony, where a familiar man is getting to his feet.

"Stark! You made it, man!" Alex grabs his friend in a bear-hug, then slaps him on the back. "When did you get here?"

"We slid in just under the wire," Stark answers, his smile beaming. "Gemma was kind of worried because our flight was so delayed--"

" _I_ was worried?" The lovely blonde woman looks at her husband in mock outrage. " _Stark_ was worried, he was so terrified that we'd miss the ceremony."

"Ahhh, but here you are," Alex says, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "You're lovely as always, Gemma. I'm just so happy you both could make it." Looking past her, he nods at a very handsome - damn near pretty - young man, who is still seated at the table. "Hi, you must be one of Luke's friends," he says, giving the man a welcoming smile.

"Oh, yeah-- I didn't expect to run into any other former costars, but Declan and I did American Idiot together on Broadway a few years ago," Stark says, pulling Alex down into an empty chair next to his own. "And then Dec told me that he and Luke have been friends pretty much forever."

Declan nods at Alex, forcing a smile, pinned to his seat for the moment. He's not sure what Luke told Alex, or if he's told him anything. "It was a beautiful wedding," he says softly, cradling his beer glass in his hands.

"Thank you." God, Alex is on top of the world right now, and he wants everyone around him to feel just as good. "You survived Luke's bachelor party okay? I heard it got pretty crazy," he says to the man, and laughs a little. Yeah, that's not _all_ he heard, but if he tries hard enough, the end of last night - with Luke drunk and crying because his mate was a complete asshole - it all starts to fade like a bad dream. Alex is set on keeping it that way.

Declan nods. "I was emceeing it," he admits, pretty certain now that Luke didn't say a thing. Thank god.

"Oh, that was _you_?" Alex asks, laughing again. "Jesus. Whose idea was it to have Luke giving out lapdances -- was that you, or Ryan?"

"Hey, Luke was giving people lapdances?" Stark asks, meeting his wife's eyes with a laugh. "I am so sorry that we missed that."

Declan laughs too, relaxing a little now that he's pretty certain Alex isn't going to come after him. "Neither. Everyone at the party came up with tasks on cue cards and I just gave Luke a choice between two each time. I think that one might have been Gabriel's."

"I don't think I met him," Alex says, glancing around. Then he shrugs and informs Stark, "Yeah, apparently Luke did a striptease for the crowd, too. But even if you arrived yesterday you wouldn't have seen it anyway, because you would have been at _my_ party."

"Who stripped at your party?" Gemma asks, fighting a giggle.

"No one." Alex looks affronted. "We were very refined."

"Fuck that," Stark tells him with a good-natured snicker. "It sounds like they tore it up at Luke's party. We so would've crashed that."

"Shit, it was a mess," Alex says, dropping his voice -- all seriousness now, although he was trying to avoid it. But Stark's a good friend, and Alex knows he can really talk to him. "Some asshole completely fucked it all up. Luke was miserable when he came back to the suite last night."

"No shit, are you serious?" Stark asks, lowering his voice as well and craning to catch a glimpse of Luke. "He looks good now. What happened?"

Alex rolls his eyes, swallowing back a wave of anger. "Some fucker he's been friends with for a long time-- oh, hey," he interrupts himself, abruptly realizing that Declan might have an idea what happened, since Stark said he's known Luke forever. "Do you know who that was? Who fucking laid it on that Luke's making a mistake with me?"

Declan listens to the conversation, amused until Alex starts with _Some asshole..._ Christ. Luke did tell him. And Declan should have known he would. Luke's nothing if not the most honest bloke he's ever known. He starts to excuse himself from the table, but before he can Alex is asking him directly and all he can do is stare at the man, feeling himself go pale...

"Making a mistake?" Stark echoes. "The night before your wedding? No one has timing that shitty."

The words are just a meaningless buzz in Alex's ears, though, because he's watching all the color drain from Declan's face. And comprehension abruptly smacks him upside the fucking head. "Holy shit," he whispers, staring at the man. Stunned stupid for a moment, although violent fury is boiling up. "It was you."

"What?" Stark stares at Alex like he's gone mad, but then follows his gaze to Declan. Incredulous.

"I didn't mean to upset him," Declan protests. "I wanted to make sure he was making the right choice. That he was sure about marrying you. And he was. Obviously," he finishes, feeling sick to his stomach, waving at the party around them.

The rest of the room goes blurry, and everything feels like it's slowing down. "You fucking piece of shit," Alex whispers, still shell-shocked. He'd tried to shove the incident from his mind, figuring he'd never discover who the perpetrator was... He gets to his feet, his face feeling frozen. "Stand up."

"Whoa. Whoa!" Stark interjects, shoving away from the table. In all the years they've known each other he's seen Alex angry once, maybe twice. But he's never seen him like this. He puts his hand on Alex's shoulder, trying to push him back down into his chair. "No--"

Alex shakes him off.

"No, I'm not doing this," Declan says, staying seated, shaking his head, scared out of his fucking wits. "I didn't mean to upset him. I just needed him to know how I felt and I couldn't help it. I've been in love with him for years and nothing and then you fucking waltz in and he's yours."

"Jesus Christ," Sam murmurs, looking over from where he's sitting with Ryan. "You stay here."

Ryan sets his beer down, surprised by the abrupt order - _in public?_ \- but he follows Sam with his gaze. And in an instant, his stomach begins to churn in panic.

"I said, _stand up_ ," Alex tells Declan, biting off the words although he manages to keep his voice to a harsh whisper. There's so much he could say right now, about how much Declan's thoughtless actions hurt Luke, or how little the man truly knows about their relationship, or even just how much Luke means to him... Except that Alex is fucking done talking.

"This is your wedding, man," Stark hisses in warning, his glance darting around as he tries to determine just how many of the guests are yet aware of the trouble brewing. He searches for Luke in the crowd, but tries not to _look_ like he's searching for Luke. "Don't do this."

"He's right," Sam says, stepping up beside Alex, facing him, his back to Declan. "You don't want to do this. This is your wedding day and if you do this, _this_ is what Luke's going to remember. Not all the good stuff but this."

Surprised, Alex meets Sam's eyes. Here is one person who should fucking understand his point of view. He should understand the insult and the threat and Alex's _need_ to protect Luke, even after the fact. "You know what he did," Alex tells Sam quietly, each word ground through his teeth. His gaze shifts back to pin Declan, because he wouldn't put it past the coward to run. "I have every right to fucking take him apart."

"Yeah, you do," Sam says, daring to touch Alex's shoulder. Grip it tight so he can get Alex looking at him. "But you shouldn't. For Luke's sake."

Fuck. Declan doesn't know what to do now. Alex is _huge_ and if the guy comes after him, he's fucking dead, so he stays put, his gaze darting between the men in front of him.

 _Shit_. Alex's glare burns through Declan for another few seconds, but then he finally looks around, furtively checking to see whether Luke is watching all this play out... Because Sam's words are making him acknowledge - at least to himself - that the absolute last thing he wants is for his new husband to see this. To see _him_ like this. Slowly, deliberately, Alex flexes his fingers before clenching his hands into fists again. And he gives Declan the tiniest of head shakes. "Your behavior last night," he says quietly, "was complete shit. For that alone, you don't deserve him."

Goddamn, he hates this, he hates this... "I swear to God," Alex continues, "if you ever fucking hurt him like that again?" There aren't even words -- but his friends are right, this isn't the place for anything else. Alex turns his head just a bit and tells Sam, "Get the fuck off me." It takes every ounce of strength he has, but he turns on his heel and walks away from the confrontation.

Sam breathes a sigh of relief as he watches Alex go. He nods at Ryan and then turns to Declan, leaning low over the table so only Stark and his wife are privy to his words. "You need to get your shit and go home," he says. "Tonight. If you can't get a flight, you need to go stay at another hotel and fly out tomorrow. I'll tell Luke you said goodbye, that you stayed for the wedding but felt you'd better leave so as not to make things awkward, but seriously, I don't know what Alex'll do if he runs into you in a hall or elsewhere. You understand me?"

Declan nods, swallowing hard, still not really trusting that Alex is gone. "I'll go get my stuff."

"Good." Sam exhales softly, shaking his head at the other man. "One more thing though. I want your word. You don't _ever_ tell Luke Alex knows it was you. If you do, I'll fucking hunt you down myself." He glances at Stark and Gemma. "Sorry."

Gemma automatically brushes off the apology, wanting to continue with the whole smoothing-over plan. But Stark looks at Sam in open question. "You don't think Luke can handle it?" he asks softly. "Knowing that Alex knows?"

"I'm sure he can but I don't want this asshole going home and emailing Luke, telling him Alex went off on him," Sam says. "I want him to leave Luke _and_ Alex alone unless he can fucking behave himself and right now I don't trust him to do that. Besides which, it's up to Alex to tell Luke if he chooses."

Stark shakes his head. He feels like he walked in on Act II of this little drama - perhaps even Act III - and he's really not comfortable with the way everything's going down. "Dec, c'mon," he coaxes, holding out his hand to his friend. "Let's go back to your room and I'll help you figure shit out."  



End file.
